Interesting Green: Reflection - King Solomon and Abishag the Shunammite (Song of Songs)

Source Website: http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-timeline-chronology-song-of-solomon-song-canticles-abishag-shepherd-boy-love-triangle-960bc.htm
By Steve Rudd. Edited by Julia Page and Cindy Wilson - Overview to Song of Solomon

PHOTO: Abishag the Shunammite was the most beautiful young virgin selected to be King David's nurse on his death bed. (1 Kings 1:1-3). After David dies, his son, 29 year Solomon anointed as king began to reign. Meanwhile Abishag moves back home to Shunem and started working as a peasant farmer. She fell in love with a poor shepherd boy.

Solomon became the wisest, richest and most powerful man on earth 3 years later. He embarked on a huge project to built a temple for God. While traveling north to his vineyard at Baal-hamon he saw the beautiful Abishag working in the vineyard. King Solomon proposed and Abishag accepts Solomon's to return with him to becme his 141st wife.

Abishag was like a woman who was suddenly swept off her feet by a rich, handsome, sophisticated doctor and for a while, dumps her "average working class" boyfriend. Who won't?

Her adoration for King Solomon faded when her heart keeps thinking about the shepherd back home. She was faced with the dilemma to choose between Solomon and the shepherd. Torned between two men for two different reasons. Will she marry for love or money?

She had mindlessly fell for Solomon's charms like all the other women around her but, in the end, she choosed to be the shepherd's queen of hearts rather than Solomon's queen of diamonds and married the poor shepherd boy from her home town of Shunem.

King Solomon fell from grace by marrying rich and famous foreign wives who turned his heart from God to idols. Given his many foreign pagan wives, Solomon eventually built temples to each of the four idol gods. The Holy Spirit had Solomon write Song of Songs as a form of redemptive self-rebuke. The clear repentance of Solomon seen in Ecclesiastes and the SONG OF SOLOMON that he wrote at the end of his life saved his soul from eternal destruction.

A man of faith is warned that although there is a perfect Shunammite out there just for him, there are 1000 beautiful women he must avoid for lack of inner beauty. These will turn his heart away from God to the destruction of his soul.
Return to Paradise by Shirl Henke. Art by Pino Daeni
Picture posted by Kat Howard, Romance cover art (Pinerest)
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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/378372806168856850/

The year is 971 BC and they search all of Israel for the most beautiful young virgin to be King David's nurse on his death bed. (1 Kings 1:1-3) Abishag, a Shunammite from the town of Shunem, 90 km north of Jerusalem, has been chosen. After David dies, his son, 29 year old King Solomon begins to reign. One year later, in 970 BC, Solomon's older brother Adonijah, asks Solomon through Bathsheba to have Abishag as his wife and Adonijah is executed for insurrection. Abishag moves back home to Shunem begins working as a peasant farmer and falls in love with a poor shepherd boy.

PHOTO: Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.” (1 Kings 1:1-2)
Painting by Pedro Américo - King David and Abishag (1879)
Posted by Arrant Pariah on Tuesday, 15 April 2014 at 7:14 PM
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http://www.fineart-china.com/upload1/file-admin/images/new25/Pedro%20Americo-492389.jpg
http://sexualobjectification.blogspot.sg/2014/04/sexual-objectification-in-art.html
http://veryfatoldman.blogspot.sg/2016/05/reflection-king-david-and-abishag.html

Three years later, Solomon, the wisest, richest and most powerful man on earth, begins to build the temple in Jerusalem in the 4th year of his reign in 967 BC. (1 Kings 6:1) That same year (967 BC), Solomon travels north to view one of his royal vineyards at Baal-hamon and sees the beautiful Abishag working in the vineyard.

Although the shepherd had recently proposed to her, she accepts Solomon's to return with him to Jerusalem and consider becoming his 141st wife. Canticles (another name for Song of Songs) is the story of how Abishag (1 Kings 1:1-3), the most beautiful girl in Israel, has snagged the biggest prize in Israel, King Solomon, but then must decide if she will marry him for money or a shepherd boy for love. Abishag is like a woman who is suddenly swept off her feet by a rich, handsome, sophisticated doctor and for a while, dumps her "average working class" boyfriend. What woman would not jump at the chance to snag such a man?

PHOTO: Abishag the Shunammite
The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king David and attended to him, but the king had no sexual relations with her (1 Kings 1:3-4). The situation later on was different. She had to make the decision to be with King Solomon or the Shepherd Boy back at home. Money or love? Blame it on the fate with too much choices?
Picture posted by phargo - Picture of Stephanie Arias
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https://d5w4uv416ie49.cloudfront.net/quip_images/85/94/f5a38d0257ab06c04ce9f8b3634cae4c8d37.jpg
https://quip.io/q/mkn6
http://veryfatoldman.blogspot.sg/2016/05/reflection-king-david-and-abishag.html

At first, she swoons for Solomon and is stunned in her good fortune of marrying dreamy "Mr. Perfect" but is unsettled when her heart keeps thinking about the shepherd back home. Her dilemma of having to choose between Solomon and the shepherd is why she is "love sick", torn between two men for two different reasons. Will she marry for love or money?

PHOTO: King Solomon represents money, fame, power and security but not perfect love. Long and lasting happiness may not be substained. A perfect "mare" for the "night". Nightmare. Because there were 999 other women hoping for the same worldly fortune.
Picture posted by Steve Rudd. Edited by Julia Page and Cindy Wilson - Overview to Song of Solomon
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http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-timeline-chronology-song-of-solomon-song-canticles-abishag-shepherd-boy-love-triangle-960bc-cast-solomon.jpg
http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-timeline-chronology-song-of-solomon-song-canticles-abishag-shepherd-boy-love-triangle-960bc.htm

She is drawn to the 33 year old Solomon for money, fame, power and ego but she is drawn to the shepherd for love, inner happiness and joy. Her ego leaps with pride when others see her with Solomon but her heart leaps with love when she is alone with the shepherd. For a short time, she mindlessly falls for Solomon's charms like all the other women around her but, in the end, she chooses to be the shepherd's queen of hearts rather than Solomon's queen of diamonds and marries the poor shepherd boy from her home town of Shunem.

PHOTO: The poor shepherd boy represents love, inner happiness and joy. Bread and butter may be an issue. But the Shepherd Boy would treat her like a queen and not a cup of wine. She would not have to share her lover with 999 other women.
Picture posted by Steve Rudd. Edited by Julia Page and Cindy Wilson - Overview to Song of Solomon
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http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-timeline-chronology-song-of-solomon-song-canticles-abishag-shepherd-boy-love-triangle-960bc-cast-shepherd.jpg
http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-timeline-chronology-song-of-solomon-song-canticles-abishag-shepherd-boy-love-triangle-960bc.htm

PHOTO: The Shunammite woman for a short time, she mindlessly falls for Solomon's charms like all the other women around her but, in the end, she chooses to be the shepherd's queen of hearts rather than Solomon's queen of diamonds and marries the poor shepherd boy from her home town of Shunem.
Picture from Johanna Lindsey book cover
"He was a naked peasant living naked in a field of wheat. She was the daughter of a nobleman and had a vagina growing out of her back. It was a love that couldn't be. It was a passion that couldn't be denied."
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http://jezebel.com/these-hilariously-outdated-fabio-book-covers-will-make-512731063

To fulfill 2 Samuel 7:14-15, the Holy Spirit had Solomon write Song of Songs as a form of redemptive self-rebuke after falling from grace by marrying rich and famous foreign wives who turned his heart from God to idols. Given his many foreign pagan wives, Solomon eventually built temples to each of the four idol gods of the land: Ashtoreth of Sidon, Milcom and Molech of Ammon, Chemosh of Moab (1 Kings 11:1-13).

PHOTO: Solomon eventually built temples to each of the four idol gods of the land: Ashtoreth of Sidon, Milcom and Molech of Ammon, Chemosh of Moab (1 Kings 11:1-13). These led to his fall in grace and God is angry.
Painting by Luca Giordano, Italian (1634-1705) - The dream of Solomon (1693)
Picture posted by Antônio Sago (Slide Player)
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http://images.slideplayer.com.br/11/3335369/slides/slide_3.jpg
http://slideplayer.com.br/slide/3335369/

For all Solomon's high flying pagan foreign royalty wives which he married for political purposes, being spurned by a pure virtuous native YHWH worshipping woman (Abishag) "in whom is no guile (cunning)" must have been an instructive meditation in hindsight. Only at the end of Solomon's life when it was too late, does he realize that his 1000 aristocratic, elitist high society foreign wives, were worthless but the peasant girl who said "no" was better than them all since she was a YHWH worshipping Hebrew who had kept her virginity. It must have been painful and humiliating for Solomon to write this book where he gets dumped by a common peasant labourer.

Solomon learned by writing the SONG OF SOLOMON that although he was the wisest man on earth, the Shunammite was even wiser than he, because she dumped him for his empty ephemeral seductions and married for true eternal love between one man and one woman, something he never experienced. The clear repentance of Solomon seen in Ecclesiastes and the SONG OF SOLOMON that he wrote at the end of his life saved his soul from eternal destruction.

PHOTO: Song of Solomon (which features the Shunammite) is a book about earthly love and romance. It is also about the woman who rejected the glory of Solomon's Kingdom for her Shepherd Lover. Although the Shepherd Lover could be the same person as King Solomon, the Shunammite woman's love significantly is Solomon and not his status or possessions. Solomon cannot be compared to her in this aspect because of his weakness in love for other women, and luxuries like wine.
Solomon had blessing for his entire life because of his spiritual heritage. The blessing came from the grace of God, and Solomon had to do nothing to earn or keep it. Since he had it made and knew it, he proceeded to try to do all that his heart desired (Ecclesiastes 2:10). He acquired great wealth, built a great temple, had a great harem, and enjoyed all kind of entertainment. Wine, women, dancing, singing, and dining were all part of Solomon's daily lifestyle. He sought entertainment in great plays, musicals, and dancing. Yet, as his capacity for happiness dwindled through neglect of Bible Doctrine, he could not enjoy them. [2]
Painting by Robert Hale Ives Gammell - The Dream of the Shulamite (1934)
Posted by Thomas Haller Buchanan on Sunday, 16 January 2011 at 9:32 PM
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http://mydelineatedlife.blogspot.sg/2011/01/there-was-young-girl-shulamite.html
http://veryfatoldman.blogspot.sg/2016/11/reflection-king-solomon-and-shulamite.html

While the act of writing the Song of Songs gave wisdom and instruction to foolish Solomon, those who read it learn from the wisdom of a peasant girl who chose to marry for the right reasons. The book is spoken in the voice of a woman to help other women in mate selection. The SONG OF SOLOMON is also a deeply romantic celebration of a woman's heart to help a good man discern if he is being objectified for some material benefit such as security, escape from unpleasant life situation, early retirement, money, fame and fortune, or genuinely loved. A man of faith is warned that although there is a perfect Shunammite out there just for him, there are 1000 beautiful women he must avoid for lack of inner beauty. These will turn his heart away from God to the destruction of his soul.

PHOTO: Song of Songs gave wisdom and instruction to chose to marry for the right reasons. It is also a deeply romantic celebration of a woman's heart to help a good man discern if he is being objectified for some material benefit such as security, escape from unpleasant life situation, early retirement, money, fame and fortune, or genuinely loved. A man of faith is warned that although there is a perfect Shunammite out there just for him, there are 1000 beautiful women he must avoid as they will turn his heart away from God to the destruction of his soul.
Painting by Alexandre Canabel, French (1823-1889) - Nymph abducted by faun (1860)
Picture posted by kirill on 17.02.2016
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http://novosib-room.ru/troe-zhitelej-novosibirska-poxitili-shkolnicu-radi-svadby-67112/

When the Bible says, “House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:14) it does not mean that God picks out your wife and she is direct gift from God. "From the Lord" does not mean that God has one "prudent" wife he made as your perfect mate, set aside for you when the time is right. Rather it means that she is a woman of faith who obeys the laws revealed in the Bible. Every woman who is an obedient, faithful Christian is "prudent".

PHOTO: “House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the Lord”. Proverbs 19:14 instructs a man to limit his search for a God-fearing sister in the church who attend all church services of her own free will, is active when she needs to be and holds herself to the high moral standards of Jesus Christ. Every woman who is an obedient, faithful Christian is "prudent".
Picture posted by @malinycollections - A Beautiful zambian bride in a zulu outfit and her bridemaids
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http://www.imgrum.net/user/pagnifik/180545896/1089702378913793104_180545896

The proverb does not mean God has chosen one prudent woman "just for you", rather it instructs a man to limit his search for a God-fearing sister in the church who attend all church services of her own free will, is active when she needs to be and holds herself to the high moral standards of Jesus Christ. God does not choose your wife, you do, but be warned, the only prudent wives are the ones who attend church every week.

PHOTO: The "prudent wife" is a God-fearing sister in the church full of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23).
Painting by Maria M. Oosthuizen - Jesus holding up a dancer praising the Lord
Posted by expressiveworshipdancer on 4 May 2016
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https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/d1/97/8c/d1978c96502c0a08b8639f3bc37a0c24.jpg
https://expressiveworshipdancer.wordpress.com/tag/jesus/

PHOTO: The "prudent wife" attend all church services of her own free will, is active timely and holds to the high moral standards of Jesus Christ.
A portrayal of a timeless discovery of mourning to dancing, introspection to inspiration is captured in this overlapping, multi-image watercolor by Marybeth Stafford.
Picture posted by ungleKey.co.uk
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http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/64/f9/5b/64f95b157868257c5d7984d13927e464.jpg
http://junglekey.co.uk/search.php?query=dancers+in+mourning&type=image&lang=en&region=gb&img=1&adv=1&start=50

The foolishness of marrying a non-Christian is seen in the book of Hosea: “the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.”” (Hosea 1:2) Marrying a non-Christian is like marrying a harlot. This is exactly what Solomon did over 1000 times when he took non-Hebrew wives. Solomon's only "prudent wife" therefore, would have been Abishag but she wisely married a "prudent" shepherd boy instead and lived happily ever after.

PHOTO: Proverbs 19:14 instructs a man to limit his search for a God-fearing sister in the church. Solomon's only "prudent wife" would have been Abishag but she wisely married a "prudent" shepherd boy instead and lived happily ever after.
Painting by Jesús Helguera (1910-1971), Mexican Painter - Romantic painting
Picture posted by.Jessicas Unique Gift Shop Gallery on 27 May 2015
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http://blog.jessicasuniquegallery.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/jesus-helguera-8.jpg
http://blog.jessicasuniquegallery.com/jesus-helguera-mexican-painter/

The difference she sees in the two men is stark, dramatic and about as opposite as they can be. Although the economic and social status differential is obvious, the way each man talks to Abishag is equally opposite. Without exception, Solomon always describes how much he loves her body parts as he methodically moves down her body. The shepherd on the other hand, describes romantic vacation destinations he wants to take her. The way each man wants to spend time with her is also very different. Solomon wants to spend time in the bedroom but the shepherd wants to spend time outside the bedroom. Solomon wanted to take her to bed but the shepherd wants to take her for a romantic walk.

PHOTO: The way each man talks to Abishag is different. Solomon always describes how much he loves her body parts as he methodically moves down her body. The shepherd on the other hand, describes romantic vacation destinations he wants to take her. Solomon wanted to take her to bed but the shepherd wants to take her for a romantic walk.
Painting by James Childs - Rape Of Persephone
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http://modrinka.blogspot.sg/2011/09/vahy-239-2310.html

Abishag was the most beautiful girl in all of Israel and like any such woman today, garnered a lot of attention from men. The Shunammite knew men loved her body, but as a woman, she also knew that was not enough to hold a marriage together. A man be great as a date, but not as a mate! All of Solomon's talk about her "hot body" reminded her that he already had 140 "hot bodies" in the harem room that he had grown tired of and did not satisfy him. Solomon wanted to do something to her but the shepherd wants to do something with her.

PHOTO: Abishag was the most beautiful girl in all of Israel and like any such woman today, garnered a lot of attention from men. The Shunammite knew men loved her body which they can grow tired of and cannot satisfied them forever. She felt that Solomon just wanted to do something to her because of her "hot body". But the shepherd wants to do something together with her, and that is the important difference.
Painting by Jaroslav Čermák, (Czech, 1830-1878) - The Abduction of a Herzegovenian Woman (1861)
Picture posted by cpimg on 10 August 2014 at 00:03
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She noticed the shepherd wanted to do those silly things in the country with her. Silly things like looking at flowers in a field or going for a mountain hike or scorpion hunting. It didn't matter as long as they were together. Solomon focuses on her body but the shepherd on her mind. Without exception, Solomon only talks about her body and never talks about places he would like to take her. She knows the shepherd appreciates her body as much as Solomon does, but is always seen spending time doing things together throughout the day. Solomon wants to spend 3.5 minutes in the bedroom while the shepherd wants to spend the rest of his life with her. When she first enters the palace, she expected the great king Solomon would be more romantic than a peasant shepherd. Soon after entering the palace, she learns that king Solomon treats her like a peasant sexual slave while her shepherd had already been treating her like a queen!

PHOTO: The Shunammite woman noticed that the Shepherd Boy would wanted to look at flowers in the field or going for a mountain hike and scorpion hunting, together. Unlike Solomon who focused on her body, the Shepherd Boy paid attention to what was on her mind. Solomon wants to spend 3.5 minutes in the bedroom while the shepherd wants to spend the rest of his life with her. King Solomon treats her like a peasant sexual slave while her shepherd had already been treating her like a queen!
Painting by Pierre Auguste Cot (1837-1883) - The Storm
Picture posted by Argent Arts (twitter) on 2 October 2016 at 2:16 PM
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In Solomon's third and last attempt to seduce her, she first runs away from him with her eyes, then literally with her feet! The queens step in and try to convince her how great Solomon is but it's too late. She finds Solomon's objectification of all women repulsive, shallow and entirely self-serving. While many women had successfully used their "hot bodies" to hook vain Solomon for his money, Abishag's priority was a relationship with a man, not his credit cards. Abishag had a lot of experience with men swooning for her beauty and trying to pick her up. She ditched the shepherd hoping Solomon was the man of her dreams. Solomon described her as his "mare" but he turned out to be her "night mare", while the shepherd was her "day stallion".

PHOTO: Abishag's priority was a relationship with a man, not his credit cards. Solomon described her as his "mare" but he turned out to be her "night mare", while the shepherd was her "day stallion". The other queens of King Solomon step in and try to convince her how great Solomon is but it's too late. She finds Solomon's objectification of all women repulsive, shallow and entirely self-serving.
Painting by Russ Docken - The Marriage Proposal
Picture posted by Testimonials & Religion on 17 January 2016
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https://svjedocanstva.wordpress.com/bijase-svadba-u-kani-galilejskoj/

PHOTO: In Solomon's third and last attempt to seduce her, the Shunammite woman first runs away from him with her eyes, then literally with her feet!
“Come Away” (Come with me)
Come away, Beloved Daughter
Come away to the place your heart yearns for
The door to greater intimacy is open
Step inside, sit in my presence
Climb into my lap
And hear my heart beating for you
Come away, snuggle into my embrace
Come away, find protection in my strength
No greater joy does my soul contain
Then when you, my Child, “come away”
Song of Songs 2:10, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come with me."
Posted by Dyed4you Art on July 2011 - Posters for the Prayer Room
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http://dyed4youart.com/feedback/2011/07/posters-for-the-prayer-room/

The shepherd understood that a woman needs a companion and a friend not a financier. She needs a co-parent not a daycare and that she is more interested in his face than his physique. She evaluated her life with Solomon and realized she would be dressed in rich clothes in the harem, eating caviar, dividing Solomon's attention with 140 other women while raising her kids as a single mom in a state daycare. She runs home to Shunem as fast as she can and marries the Shepherd, while Solomon goes on to marry another 860 more women. Abishag chooses wisely.

PHOTO: The Shepherd Boy understood what the Shunammite woman really wanted. She wanted a companion, a friend and somebody who would raise up their children together. Solomon was deem as unable to provide that qualities. She therefore ran away from Solomon's harem to marry the Shepherd Boy.
Painting by Francois Boucher (1703-1770) - Daphnis And Chloe (1743)
Posted by geoffw on 22 August 2013
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http://www.sexandcensorship.com/unacceptablenudity/?p=50

The Song of Songs is God's marriage preparation manual. While spoken entirely from a woman's perspective it is invaluable for both men and women in mate selection. For women, the message is that they will be happier with a poor man who is their best friend than a rich man who ignores them. For men, the message is to choose a woman who loves them, not their wealth.

Central to the book is the warning against marrying shallow and objectifying men like Solomon. However, the book serves to alert men to the dangers of shallow-minded, predatory women who target good, innocent and unsuspecting men for their own selfish pleasure. The 1000 wives of Solomon certainly did not marry him with any expectation of taking regular romantic walks together in the moonlight, but for money, power and fame. Just as women are warned to avoid marrying men like Solomon, so too men are warned about marrying women like Solomon's wives. The message is simple: avoid beauty diggers like Solomon and gold diggers like his wives.

PHOTO: For women, the message is that they will be happier with a poor man who is their best friend than a rich man who ignores them. For men, the message is to choose a woman who loves them, not their wealth. Just as women are warned to avoid marrying men like Solomon, so too men are warned about marrying women like Solomon's wives. The message is simple: avoid beauty diggers like Solomon and gold diggers like his wives.
Picture posted by nousdeux in MAX GINSBURG on 1 July 2011 at 19:06
Romance Book Cover Illustrations by Max Ginsburg
Spitfire: The Illustrated Biography by Jonathan Glancey
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http://nousdeux.eklablog.com/max-ginsburg-a4212901
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I invite all unmarried men and women to closely meditate on the thoughts and dreams of Abishag as she walks herself through life's most beautiful institution: MARRIAGE. This book is intended to be a marriage preparation manual. It is also a reminder to those already married about what is important and what is not. See Ten commandments for husbands and wives. It is never too late for you to make the changes you need to make to repair your marriage.

PHOTO: Marriage is created in heaven by our Creator with a divine purpose. We need to pursue that purpose, which is the Will of God for our well-being and happiness. The book of Song of Songs help us to prepare and fulfill the bow of marriage successfully. In order to enjoy marriage to the fullest, just like Abishag the Shunammite, it is wise to mediate on what exactly God wants a marriage to be. In this way we will make important decisions and take the decisive steps correctly with the blessing of our Creator. Among the requirements are strong commitment to the marriage irregardless of worldly obstacles, and to fear and be obedient to God our provider of happiness and everything else.
Looking away from all that will distract to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith giving the first incentive for our belief and is also its Finisher bringing it to maturity and perfection. He, for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2).

Texts and Painting by Dolores Develde - The Message Of Salvation (Unconditional Surrender)
Unconditional Surrender is a mixed media by Dolores Develde which was uploaded on 04 March 2015, http://fineartamerica.com/featured/unconditional-surrender-dolores-develde.html.
Picture posted by Wonderful Art (Pinterest)
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PHOTO: "Dear Lord, We pray that man be aware that although there is a perfect Shulammite out there just for him, there are 1000 beautiful women he must avoid for lack of inner beauty. Because they will turn his heart away from God to the destruction of his soul. Men to be alert of the dangers of shallow-minded, predatory women who target good, innocent and unsuspecting men for their own selfish pleasure.
We pray that women too be aware of marrying shallow and objectifying men like Solomon. This is because Solomon's objectification of all women is repulsive, shallow and entirely self-serving.
For women, the message is that they will be happier with a poor man who is their best friend than a rich man who ignores them. For men, the message is to choose a woman who loves them, not their wealth. Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Painting by Francois-Joseph Navez - The Nymph Salmacis and Hermaphroditus (1829)
Picture posted by Fans Share
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By Steve Rudd. Edited by Julia Page and Cindy Wilson - Commentary on the Song of Solomon, Songs, Canticles, God's Marriage preparation manual

Reference
[1] "Lovesick" Will she marry the king or the poor shepherd she loves?, Overview to Song of Solomon, Commentary on the Song of Solomon, Songs, Canticles, God's Marriage preparation manual, By Steve Rudd. Edited by Julia Page and Cindy Wilson, http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-timeline-chronology-song-of-solomon-song-canticles-abishag-shepherd-boy-love-triangle-960bc.htm

[2] The Shulamite Love Story, Posted by Larry Wood, http://www.biblenews1.com/docs/shulamit.htm

[3] Ten commandments for husbands and wives, posted by www.bible.ca, http://www.bible.ca/f-10commandments-husbands-wives.htm

New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

1 Kings 1:1-2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+1%3A1-2&version=NIV

1 Kings 1:1-3 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+1%3A1-3&version=NIV

1 Kings 1:3-4 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+1%3A3-4&version=NIV

1 Kings 6:1 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+6%3A1&version=NIV

1 Kings 11:1-13 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+11%3A1-13&version=NIV

2 Samuel 7:14-15 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Sam+7%3A14-15&version=NIV

Ecclesiastes 2:10 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes+2%3A10&version=NIV

Galatians 5:22-23 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A22-23&version=NIV

Hebrews 12:2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12%3A2&version=NIV

Hosea 1:2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea+1%3A2&version=NIV

Proverbs 19:14 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+19%3A14&version=NIV

Song of Songs 2:10 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Song+of+Solomon+2%3A10&version=NIV